For me, the healing potential of Reiki extends beyond the treatment space. I know that when I am integrating the Reiki principles into my day-to-day interactions with others that I feel calmer, healthier, more balanced and happier.
The Reiki Principles
Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, be slow to anger.
Just for today, do your work with integrity.
Just for today, honor your parents, teachers and elders.
Just for today, practice kindness to all living things.
Just for today, give thanks for your many blessings.
- The Usui Reiki Method to change your mind and body for the better
Between Reiki sessions, what can you do to find more balance, calm and perspective in your life? To recapture a feeling of spaciousness, and to ease levels of anxiety and tension?
You might try developing a Mindfulness Practice of your own. In the words of mindfulness author and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”
If this is new to you, there are a few Apps that offer accessible ways to begin.
I started with an App called Headspace, which was a great launching point.
For a clear, simple approach to meditation that offers guidance from a wide range of respected mindfulness practitioners, try the 10% Happier: Meditation App.
You might also like to try the Calm App to create an oasis of peace for yourself now and then.
Once you become a more experienced mindfulness practitioner, you might find the Insight Timer helpful.
If you would like to engage your children in a mindfulness practice as well, there are many nice options. I help to manage a nonprofit organization called Peace of Mind Inc. that provides free practice videos for children and families. TeachPeaceofMind.org. You can find many more kid-friendly apps, with reviews, at CommonSenseMedia.org.
The Peace of Mind Curriculum, which I help to write, edit and publish, offers weekly lessons on mindfulness, kindness and conflict resolution for students in Pre Kindergarten through Middle School. Teachers, counselors, and parents have all found it useful in helping their children learn to calm themselves, focus their attention, build healthy relationships, and to become peacemakers. TeachPeaceofMind.org.
Here is a short, 5 minute meditation that Janet Nima Taylor, American Buddhist Nun, suggests for beginning meditators or anyone seeking to infuse their days with peaceful moments.
Minute 1:
Breathe deeply. Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor, back straight, hands on your thighs, closing your eyes or leaving them a little bit open. Deepen your breathing (nose, mouth or both), inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 6.
Minute 2:
Find your natural breathing pace. Pay attention to what your breaths feel like. Tune into the rising and falling sensation in your body. Notice it from your belly to your shoulders.
Minute 3:
Stay focused. Be aware of your breathing. Notice each thought that comes into your head, perhaps imagining it as a gentle floating cloud, and let it drift away if you can. If it’s hard to let it go, you might jot it down and go back to focusing on your breath.
Minute 4.
Relax. Relax your focus on your breathing and just sit. Remind yourself that there is nothing to do, fix or change in this moment.
Minute 5:
Give thanks. Think about something you are grateful for, such as a slow walk with your dog or having this time to meditate. Gradually shift your awareness to how your body feels. Open your eyes, stand up slowly, and move on with your day.